Sombre Hummingbird

Identification

The Sombre Hummingbird is a small species, measuring about 12 cm in length and weighing between 7.1 and 9 grams. Males and females are essentially identical in plumage, though females are slightly smaller. This bird's most distinctive features are its slightly decurved black bill and its predominantly dark coloration. The upperparts are bronzy green to blackish bronzy green, with a coppery sheen on the uppertail coverts. The underparts are notably dull gray with only a few dull green spots on the throat, giving this species its suitably "sombre" appearance. The square tail displays shiny green central feathers contrasted with black feathers that have a bronzy gloss.

Range & Habitat

Endemic to Brazil, the Sombre Hummingbird is found in eastern regions from Pernambuco south to Rio Grande do Sul and west as far as Mato Grosso. The core of its distribution lies within the Atlantic Forest biome, though it also inhabits transition zones between the cerrado and caatinga biomes. This species favors the edges and understory of humid primary and secondary forests, as well as plantations and gardens.

Behaviour & Diet

The Sombre Hummingbird is a year-round resident throughout its range. It forages for nectar from a variety of flowering plants, including introduced Eucalyptus species, working from the understory up to heights of 30 meters. Remarkably, this bird is highly territorial and spends approximately half of its time aggressively defending flower patches from other hummingbirds. Beyond nectar, it supplements its diet by hawking arthropods from a perch.

The breeding season extends from November to March. Females construct delicate cup nests from soft plant material decorated with large lichen pieces on the exterior, typically positioned like a saddle on a horizontal branch. Females incubate a clutch of two eggs for 15 to 16 days, with fledging occurring roughly 28 days after hatching. The bird's high-pitched song, a repeated "tchui-ui," is typically delivered at dawn and during aggressive territorial encounters, along with at least six distinct calls including chirps, guttural sounds, vibrato, whistles, and cracks.

Best Time & Places to See It

The Sombre Hummingbird is a year-round resident, making it viewable throughout the year. Except in the far south of its range, it is considered locally common to common. The Atlantic Forest represents the best habitat for encounters, and the species occurs in several protected areas throughout eastern Brazil where visitors may observe it defending flowering plants in gardens, plantations, and forest edges.

Photography Tips

Photographers should focus on capturing this bird in flowering areas where it is most active and predictable. Early morning hours offer excellent opportunities to photograph the bird singing from exposed perches. The bird's dark coloration requires careful exposure management to retain detail in the plumage while capturing the subtle bronzy and coppery sheens. Its highly territorial nature means patients photographers may witness dramatic aerial interactions as the bird defends feeding territories—dynamic behavior that makes compelling images.